As an Ottawa resident, there are tons of sporting events I can go to; Sens, Redblacks, Fury, Fatcats (or whatever they are called now), 67's, Olympique, Ravens, GG's ect, and that's just local. I can also make the pilgrimage to Buffalo or NY to see some NFL.
More importantly though, my disposable income isn't locked into sports entertainment; if I spend more on movies, or fast food, that impacts how much I can spend on Sens. The sens aren't competing for a share of my sports entertainment budget, they are competing for any of my budget. It's not a case of I'll only spend this money on attending live sports, I might use it for a new TV, to take my family out on vacation, to make car payments, to repair my roof. The Sens need to convince me that I'd rather spend a grand on season tickets than anything else, regardless of whether or not it would otherwise be spent on sports or not.